Rotational vacuum press with a membrane

ABSTRACT

The rotational vacuum press with a membrane; according to the invention, is aimed at veneering of profiled surfaces and laminating of wooden elements and other materials according to a modem facilitated with pressure generated by vacuum and applied on the surface through the membrane. It is consisted of the main construction ( 21 ) on which central axis ( 16 ) is placed on which at least four turning working tables are placed ( 12 ) with moveable frame ( 14 ) which has an elastic rubber membrane fixed on ( 13 ) under which, on the working table ( 12 ), a working piece ( 15 ) is placed preheated in the heating chamber ( 31 ) with heaters ( 36 ), which is placed on rails in the low down part of the construction ( 21 ). On the surface of the table ( 12 ) there are canals ( 11 ) for vacuum, connector ( 18 ) and the vacuum conduit ( 17 ) linked by the vacuum conduit ( 10 ) through the irreversible valve ( 4 ) and entry filter ( 2 ); with vacuum pump ( 1 ) which has an outlet filter on ( 3 ) and is fixed on the carrier ( 27 ): Locking of the working table ( 12 ) is achieved by the mechanism ( 22 ) with lever ( 23 ) and handle ( 24 ). The press and heating chamber ( 31 ) are linked with the control cabinet ( 26 ).

THE TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention, looked at in a broader sense, is pertaining to the areaof timber industry specifically to the press with pressing elements thatare set in a form of an elastic element started under the pressure of afluid, created for the purpose of veneering of profiled surfaces andlaminating of lumber elements according to a model therein facilitatedwith the vacuum formed pressure applied on the surface by the membrane.

According to the International Patent Classification, the inventorysubject is classified and marked with classifying symbols (7) B30B 5/02,B29C 51/28 and B29C 51/16.

TECHNICAL PROBLEM

Technical problem resolved by this invention is consisted of thefollowing: how to constructionally resolve the vacuum press with amembrane for veneering of profiled surfaces and laminating of elementsaccording to a model for achieving a greater capacity, a very smallspending of energy and reduction of maintenance cost, and theaforementioned has been attained by the proposed construction with fouror several working tables with membrane that rotate around the centralaxis.

BACKGROUND ART

Presently it is known that the vacuum technology is applied in the waythat the pressure created by vacuum is passed on from the membrane ontothe working piece, and heating of the material i.e. thermal part of theprocedure is done by the membrane from above downwards. This techniquerequires multiple energy to make the heat go into the adhesive layerthrough the membrane and veneer thus shortening the effective livingtime of the membrane which needed to be a silicone one in that case. Itis also known that the currently applied presses for this purpose haveonly operated in one drive i.e. with one working table.

In patent and non-patent literature there are many solutions thatresolve this problem and only some of the constructions from significantproducers will be mentioned in the further text like: companiesCOLUMBUS, DE; ELKOM, DE specialized for sanitary devices and kitchenaccessories; NABUURS, ES who has registered the patent No. W0 02/094546:WEMNOENER HEINRICH GMBH; DE who registered the patent No. DE102004033540 for door coating and three-dimensional contours;ORMAMACCHINE SPA, IT who registered the patent No. EP 1790464 with apress for door coating and window coating and PROGETTO ABITARE, IT witha press for veneering who registered the patent No. EP 1437204. All theaforementioned solutions are with one drive i.e. one working table andare characterized with a larger energy spending, smaller capacity andlonger operating time per a production unit. This invention applies themethod which is to preheat the material that is to be veneered orlaminated on 65° C. in the chamber which quickens the adhesive processesand brings it to the same time like already known presses operate withand which presses for their methods need to use temperature of 120° C.because they heat up through the 3 mm thick membrane including thematerial it is coated with. Also this invention applies several workingtables that rotate around the central axis thus increasing the capacityof work proportionally.

Searching for the patent documentation and going through the relevantliterature from this area, no similar resolution of the technicalproblem has been come across.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the invention is to facilitate a sizable veneering andlaminating capacity of wood and other materials (one cycle 1.5 minutes,until today the known maximum speed is 5 minutes), and at the same timeto reduce spending of energy and maintenance cost in comparison with thealready known solutions. The aforementioned has been achieved in themanner that 4 or more working tables with membrane rotate around thecentral axis. The needed pressure, that is realized through the membranemade of natural rubber with 600% elasticity, helped with 900 mbar vacuumis around 0.9 kg/cm2. Such a released pressure is well enough to enablea quality adhesion of the veneer or bending of the elements whenlaminating 4 centimeters. Different then the flat, hydraulic andpneumatic presses, regardless of the shape, the membrane facilitates anequal pressure all over the surface of the working piece which is aguarantee for a good adhesion.

A faster adhesion process is realized by means of preheating of theworking piece in the chamber with the help of infrared heaters of 1.8 kWwith achieved temperature of 65° C. for 4.5 minutes. Since the elementspreheating chamber can take 3 times more of the number of pieces then aworking table, the total preheating time in the cycle involving 4working tables goes down to 1.5 minutes.

The so far known models of the 70/280 cm dimension vacuum presses forthe 5 minute veneering cycle use minimum 10 kW heaters. For adhesion oflaminating pieces it takes several hours. using these methods andheating, the adhesion and laminating of elements process last equallylong which is 5 minutes for one working table. Using such a rotationalpress that cycle would practically be brought to 1.5 minutes withaccessorized with 1.8 KW heater.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described in detail on the illustration shown in thedraft in which>

FIG. 1 represents the characteristic cross section of the press

FIG. 2 represents the side view of the press from the control cabinetside

FIG. 3 represents the side view of the press from the opposite side fromthe control cabinet side

FIG. 4 represents the front appearance of the press

FIG. 5 represents the front part of the heating chamber

FIG. 6 represents the length along section of the heating chamber

FIG. 7 represents the cross section of the heating chamber

FIG. 8 represents the appearance of the control board of the controlcabinet of the press

FIG. 9 represents the appearance of the control board of the heatingchamber

FIG. 10 represents the oblique projection of the press and heatingchamber

FIG. 11 represents heating chamber

FIG. 12 represents the initial position of the working piece beneath themembrane and

FIG. 13 represents the final working piece after the vacuuming.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As presented in the drawing 1, 2, 3, 4 and 10 the press is consisted of:

the main construction 21, steel pipes with turning wheels 25, workingtables 12 that is consisted of the frame 14 that holds the membrane 13made of natural rubber and has appropriate elasticity and solidness,working surfaces made of impermeable material with canals 11 for vacuumthat go to the connector 18 vacuum, vacuum lead 17 that links theconnector with the central axis 16 through the irreversible valve 8 andfurther on by the rotating junction 9 towards the key vacuum lead 10,that makes a link to the vacuum pump through the irreversible vent 4 andentry filter 2 whereas the pump has the exit filter 3 and is located onthe pump carrier 27, with the working table of the press. Rotating ofthe working tables that are installed on the central axis 16accessorized with the rim part 20 is operating when the axis goes aroundin the bearing box 19 and locking of the working table is done by theauxiliary mechanism 22 for locking by pulling the handle 24 over thelever 23.

Procedure management is achieved by the control cabinet 26 which isconsisted of the switch 39 in case of danger—not aus, main switch 40turned on induced voltage into the control board. Turning on the switch42 the vacuum pump gets started 1 its further operating is ran by thedigital instrument 41 which operates in the capacity of pressure gaugeand vacuum meter.

One can see from the drawings 5, 6, 7 that the heating chamber isconsisted of the following:

main construction 31 which is made of steel pipes, drawer 35 chamberwhich is also made of steel pipes with a sliding mechanism 34 whichsliding down the sliding rail 33 facilitates drawing out of ⅔ of itslength. The whole chamber is on the rotating wheels 25 as well as thepress is.

Handling of the operating chamber is achieved through the controlcabinet drawing 9 which is consisted of the main switch 44, not ausswitch 43, digital unit 45 that is in function of the thermo regulationswitch and also thermometer function and switch 46 that operatesswitching on and switching off functions.

WAYS OF APPLICATION OF THE INVENTION

The operating modus of the heating chamber:

The element that is coated with the veneer, further in text workingpiece 15, is put in the heating chamber by opening the door of thechamber 30 sliding out the drawer on the sliding mechanism 34 and layingthe working piece 15 onto the drawer 35. After that the drawer 35 is setback into the chamber and the door 30 is closed thus exposing theworking piece 15 to direct heating by the heater 36. The procedure ofheating up of the working piece is done through the control cabinet ofthe heating chamber, drawing 9. By turning on the main switch 40 thecontrol board gets voltage supply, after that turning one the switch 42the heaters are started 36. The digital instrument 45 does reading thecurrent temperature and maintaining of the temperature within the setscale. Measuring of current temperature is done by the sound 38 placedinside the chamber. When the heating cycle on the working piece 15 isfinished, the working piece is taken out from the chamber by opening thedoor on the chamber 30 and then sliding out the drawer 35. The heatedworking piece 15 is taken off from it and the next working piece is putinside. The working piece 15 is put onto surface 28 when veneer is puton it and also other coating material that is in prior pasted withadhesive glue.

Operating modus of the vacuum press with the membrane:

Such a prepared working piece with veneer is put on the working table ofthe press 12, and then the rim 14 is put down with the membrane 13 andgets locked by the clench 6. Turning the working valve 5 in thevacuuming position a void is formed for the air vent between themembrane 13 and the working table 12 with the working piece 15 thatleads through the vacuum connector 18 through the vacuum lead 17 throughthe irreversible valve 5 up to the central axis 16 and from the axisthrough the junction 9 into the main vacuum conduit 10 towards thevacuum pump 1. In this way the membrane 13 is made contact with theworking piece 15 i.e. surface of the working piece which is to be coatedforming pressure of 0.9 kg/cm2. When this operation is done the workingtable gets unlocked by the unlocking mechanism 22 by handle 24 throughthe lever 23 and after that the working table gets manually rotated for90% and gets locked again. By doing so the working table is set to itsoperational position, and the procedure is repeating. As one can seefrom drawing 1, 2, 3 and 10 the press is consisted of four workingtables (6 is possible) which rotating around the central axis 16facilitates a continuous work. When a full cycle is done 360° theworking piece is taken out from the first working table by turning thevalve 5 for 180° thus forming space between the membrane 13 and workingtable 12 through the connector and the outlet on the operating valve 5towards the atmosphere. In this way the pressure is equalized to theatmosphere pressure and with clench 6 it makes possible unlocking theframe rim 14 with the membrane 13 and facilitated with the gas spring 7it opens under 40° so the working piece 15 can be taken out. Thisenables putting the prepared working piece 15 into the press and theprocedure is repeating. Operating time for such four matches the gluingand adhesion time, which enables the already mentioned: the procedure isprogressing continuously. Usage of the heating chamber; drawing of 5, 6and 7 double shortens the cycle time.

The main purpose of the press is coating—veneering of the roundedsurfaces in production of the construction carpentry—door frames,batten, freeze, add-on-board and production of the furniture—kitchenfronts, cabinets, profiles laces etc.

The press has several makes that differ for their industrial dimensions,installed power and adjustments and needs of small and medium smallcarpentry workshops.

1. A rotational vacuum press comprising: a main construction defining anaxis; a plurality of movable working tables, each working table equippedwith a movable frame, each working table being rotatably mounted on theaxis of the main construction, each working table having a surfacedefining a channel; a plurality of rubber membranes, each rubbermembrane being mounted on a respective moveable working table; and aturning connector adapted to connect the channel, of each working tablesurface, with a vacuum conduit, wherein each working table is adapted tobe locked by a mechanism with lever and handle, whereby the rotationalvacuum press is configured to veneer profile surfaces and laminate woodelements and other materials according to a model, facilitated withpressure generated by vacuum and applied on the surface through therubber membranes.
 2. A rotational vacuum press with a membrane, forveneering of profile surfaces and laminating of wood elements and othermaterials according to a model, facilitated with pressure generated byvacuum and applied on the surface through the membrane, the rotationalvacuum press comprising: a main construction; 4 movable working tablessupported by bearings, each table equipped with a movable frame,rotateably mounted on a central axis installed in the main construction,each working table having a surface with canals with vacuum; 4 fixedrubber membranes, each fixed rubber membrane being mounted on arespective moveable working table; a connector adapted to connect eachtable surface canal with vacuum through a vacuum conduit that is able tolink the connector with a central axis through an irreversible valve andthrough a turning connector; and a main vacuum conduit adapted toconnect the central axis, through an irreversible valve and an entryfilter, with a vacuum pump, the vacuum pump including an outlet filterconnected between the vacuum pump and the main vacuum conduit and fixedon a carrier, wherein each working table is adapted to be locked by amechanism with lever and handle, the rotational vacuum press furthercomprising a movable thermally insulated heating chamber placed on alower part of the main construction, the heating chamber includingheaters and drawers installed, for preheating work pieces beforesubjecting the work pieces to vacuum pressing, the work pieces beingadapted to slide on a mechanism with rails, the vacuum press and theheating chamber being operatively connected to a control cabinet.